Have you ever wondered how the sun affects your pearly whites? Besides encouraging you to smile wide with its warm radiance, that is. Much like biannual dental checkups, sunlight actually benefits your oral health in many ways. Since the weather’s heating up, let’s discuss how the sun, vitamin D, and your friendly neighborhood dentist form a winning combination for your teeth.
What’s So Special About the Sun?
That blazing ball of fire in the sky is the human body’s number one source of vitamin D. You can get vitamin D through supplements and smart dietary choices, but the sun produces much, much more of it. Simply sitting outside for 15 minutes is enough to give you a full dose!
How Does Vitamin D Help My Teeth?
So direct sunshine greatly increases your vitamin D levels, but why is vitamin D important? Here’s what this essential nutrient does for your biology:
- Helps you absorb more calcium, which fortifies your shield-like enamel so it can better protect your teeth.
- Boosts your immune system so you can fight off infections like tooth decay and gum disease.
- Reduces inflammation – another key factor in keeping gum disease at bay.
By prompting your body to produce more vitamin D, the sun strengthens your smile and empowers it to stay healthy.
Oral Health Dream Team: The Sun and Your Dentist
The disease-countering properties of vitamin D is what dentists would call a preventative care measure. Preventative care helps protect you from dental conditions before they have the chance to cause cavities and tooth loss. Soaking up the sun is one way you can prevent dental disasters – and visiting your dentist biannually is another!
You see, while sunlight helps fortify your teeth, it can’t do much about the bacteria that cause these conditions in the first place. Your dentist, on the other hand, can scrub away these bacteria with their specialized equipment. They can also examine your mouth for early warning signs of oral misfortunes. That way, if cavities or gum disease sneak past your typical defenses, you have a head start on kicking tooth decay out!
Between the tooth-strengthening power of the sun and your dentist’s skilled hand, you have a winning preventative care team. That is, as long as you take advantage of it! Don’t forget to schedule a checkup and cleaning with your dentist and be sure to enjoy a nice sunbathe before summer comes to a close.
About the Practice
Drs. Todd Balington and Naveen Karim form a top-notch team. Between Dr. Balington’s experience in general dentistry and Dr. Karim’s specialized knowledge in treating gum disease, they’ve got your preventative care handled! To contact their office, call Denton Dental Center at 940-383-3300 or visit their website to request an appointment.